Brilliant
by CanzetYote
Summary: Trust Me I'm A Genie. After being accepted into a college for geniuses, Joe becomes depressed at the thought of missing his friends. Can Diego's third wish help his fox friend stay in the oasis?
1. Saying Goodbye

**NOTE:** _Here is my first Joe-centric fanfic. Hope all you Trust Me I'm A Genie fans out there are reading this!_

The desert fox sighed deeply to himself in his room. He took one look at his teddy bear, Blankie and hugged it close to his chest. He couldn't sleep at all that night because so much weighed upon his mind. He was going to leave the oasis, possibly for good and go to the college he always wanted, earn his degree and make a living. Joe pressed his eyes shut and growled softly, feeling as if his intelligence and talent was a curse. Why couldn't he be more like Diego or Larry or Tony? Because he was gifted? Why did he slack off and waste such talent on virtual reality card games among his friends? Because it was fun?

Joe's vision began to slowly fog up with tears so he rubbed his eyes on the backs of his paws, "Curses...I can't believe I've wasted so much..."

The fox clicked on the light on his nightstand and opened the drawer to find a tablet of paper. Taking the tablet out, he took a pen off the top of the nightstand and began writing.

Every single word he wrote, he felt like a knife was plunged into his heart. Finally, he finished writing the painful letter and sealed it inside of an envelope.

Taking a deep sigh, Joe got off of his bed, grabbed the envelope and walked downstairs and out of his house. It felt a little spooky walking through the oasis alone at night but the desert fox swallowed his fear as he walked his way across the sandy landscape and to the cafe. With every step, he felt his heart grow heavier. When he finally reached the cafe, he set down the envelope on the front steps and clasped a hand over his chest. Sniffling a bit and choking back a sob, Joe turned and walked away from the cafe and back in the direction of his house, stopping every once in a while to clear his vision of tears.

By the time he reached his house, his ears were wilted and he was sobbing quietly. He made his way up the stairs and to his bedroom where he collapsed on his bed. Joe squeezed his eyes shut and the moonlight pouring from the outside window made the tears rolling down his muzzle glimmer as they dripped off his nose and onto the head of his beloved teddy bear, "I'll miss you guys so much..." he whispered softly to himself.

After about 8 good minutes of crying, the desert fox got up and began to pack his things. No more relaxing by the pool. No more partying in the cafe. No more movie night. No more Diego, Ziggy, Zazie, Larry, Tony and Sonia. From here on out, it would be nothing but hard work. Joe promised himself he wouldn't waste his intelligence on fun leisure hobbies with his friends forever.

Deeply, Joe felt sickened by himself yet he knew that he couldn't let his talent go to waste. He knew he could possibly change the world if he wanted but if he ever became famous, would his friends still love him? Would his friends still be there for him? All he could do was think about his mates. Good old goofy and bumbling Diego, Environmentalist sweetheart Zazie, Gentle and wise Larry, Serene yet tough Sonia, Money-grubbing clown Tony and even that selfish loudmouth genie Ziggy brought a bittersweet smile to his face as he remembered the good times he had with them. Joe hated long goodbyes because beneath his sarcastic, cool and talented exterior lay a heart as soft as a pillow and he knew the longer the goodbye lingered, he'd start getting all tearful and mushy.

Joe made sure to pack light for the move, he knew he could rely on Diego to mail the rest to him when he got to his new residence. Taking another deep breath, he collapsed on his bed and fell asleep due to exhaustion.

Morning came and the sun rose across the desert landscape. Ziggy floated out the door of the cafe and was ready to relax by the pool when the envelope on the ground caught his attention. Blinking a few times, Ziggy picked it up and opened it. Taking out the piece of paper, he unfolded it and read it. What surprised Ziggy is that it wasn't typed up on a computer but handwritten and in a rather fancy cursive font. The ink was smudged in a few places with what appeared to be water. Joe's tears. The raccoon genie went on to read the letter:

_Dear friends, I must say with a heavy heart that tomorrow, I'll be moving away from the Oasiswood outskirts to Nileburg in order to attend college there. I know most of you will miss my sarcastic quips and witty remarks but try your best to keep your chin up and have a stiff upper lip._

_I must say that even though we have our disagreements, I consider each and every one of you my true friends._

_Diego, you always try your best to lighten up the day and make everyone smile. Sure, you're rubbish at video games and karaoke but I'm able to look past that and see what a great friend you are._

_Zazie, I admire the fact that you wish to preserve mother Earth and help keep her clean. Keep up the good work._

_Larry, you're truly the best peacekeeper I know of, if it weren't for you, we'd most likely be six feet under by now._

_Tony, thank you for being there for me. I hope you realize that even money can't buy some things, like friendship._

_Sonia, you're a loyal friend and an excellent shopkeeper and your herbal tea is simply divine. Make sure to send me the recipe for it._

_Ziggy, although your tomfoolery gets on my last nerve, life just wouldn't be the same without you and your magic._

_I won't be packing all my things, so Diego, will you please do me a favor, hold down my fort and mail my things to me? Ziggy can take over your cafe shift in case a customer comes over by some miracle. Anything that isn't nailed down, Tony will take. The other day he somehow managed to lift my giant chess pieces. That scorpion will do anything for a quick buck. I know you're all going to miss me, but try to lessen your contact with me for a few days, I really do hate long goodbyes because the longer they last, the more emotional I get. I promise that I will maintain contact through all of you in Desertbook when I get settled in, though. I love you all and thank you for being my friends._

_For better or worse_

_-Joe_

Upon finishing the letter, Ziggy rubbed his chin as a plan started to formulate in his mind, "This could be the perfect opportunity for Diego to use the third wish!"

"What are you up to now, Ziggy?" Diego's voice rang from down the hall. The camel slowly approached the raccoon and noticed he was holding a piece of paper, "Does it have to do with that paper you're holding?"

Ziggy smiled and handed Diego the paper. Upon reading it, the camel's eyes went wide with shock, "Joe is leaving to Nileburg?"

Ziggy smiled and nodded, "Don't you just wish he'd stay here instead?"

Diego crossed his arms, "I really don't think its any of your business, Ziggy. It's Joe's decision if he wants to leave the oasis and besides, he said in the letter that he'd stay in contact through Desertbook."

Ziggy sighed and shook his head, "Diego, did you not notice the smudges in the ink on the letter? Joe was crying when he wrote this, so that must mean he'll really miss us all. But being the genius I am, I thought of a solution to our simple problem."

Diego slowly raised an eyebrow, "Go on..."

Ziggy grinned, "Think about it, if we bring the college here, Joe would be able to earn his degree and hang out with all of us. No packing up things, no tearful goodbyes, no moving away. Easy peasy, trust me I'm a genie!"

Diego rubbed his head and sighed, "I think it would be best if we went and talked with Joe first before making the wish."

Ziggy rolled his eyes, "Fine, have it your way. Just let me use the bathroom real quick first, it'll only take me a sec."

And so, the raccoon genie teleported upstairs to Diego's bedroom and looked around. Spotting a framed photo of Diego, Joe, Zazie, Larry and Tony as kids on the dresser, a wicked grin spread across his muzzle, "Oh, the delicious Vulpine tears! That fox is gonna break SO hard when he sees this."

Ziggy pocketed the picture in his vest and poofed back to the main area to see all of Diego's friends except Joe gathered around the table. Zazie slowly shook her head, "I can't believe Joe is leaving."

Sonia nodded, "I read all of your horoscopes in the paper this morning. Joe's an Aquarius and it said that Aquarius will be moving to new heights."

Tony roled his eyes, "Horoscopes are a bunch of rubbish if you ask me."

Sonia crossed her arms, "Horoscopes aren't rubbish! You're a Taurus and your destiny came true as well you know. What puzzles me is that you're an earth sign and Joe's an air sign yet the two of you are best friends. Go figure."

Larry smiled warmly at Sonia, "Well, you know what they say about opposites attract."

Diego sighed and hung his head, "To be honest, it doesn't really matter what sign Joe is, the truth is he's leaving." The camel looked around the table, "I'm going to stop by Joe's house to bid farewell to him. Ziggy thinks I should use the third wish to bring the college here so he won't have to move out but it would be best if I talked to him first." Diego continued on as he pulled some straws out of his pocket, "Joe mentioned in the letter that he hates long goodbyes so it would be best if only one of you comes with me to talk to him. If everyone came, he might be overwhelmed. Whoever picks the longest straw gets to come with me."

The bird, lizard, scorpion and goat closed their eyes and drew the straws. Sonia got the longest straw and Zazie and Larry hung their heads. Tony bit his lip as tears welled up in his eyes, "I guess...I won't be saying goodbye to him...excuse me..."

Tony scuttled away, sobbing loudly and Sonia sighed, "All right, let's go."

As Diego and Sonia left the cafe, Ziggy floated up to them, "Wait up, guys! I wanna say goodbye to Joe, too!"

Sonia raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? I thought you and Joe hated each other's guts."

Ziggy shook his head, "I want to apologize to him and wish him the best of luck."

Sonia blinked a few times. The goat and camel exchanged a confused glance and shrugged. Diego smiled and winked at Ziggy, "All right, just try not to overwhelm him."

Ziggy winked back, "Gotcha, master."

And so, Diego, Ziggy and Sonia trekked across the desert to Joe's house. Outside sat a very depressed-looking desert fox holding a raggedy-looking teddy bear in his hand, his Blankie.

The fox's large ears swiveled and he turned to face Diego, "Oh, hello Diego. I take it you recieved my message, right?"

Diego nodded, "Actually, Ziggy was the one who discovered it. He told me than I told everyone else."

"I see." Joe sighed, his large ears wilted as low as they could possibly go.

Ziggy floated up to Joe and pulled a glass-framed picture out of his vest pocket, "Here, Joe, this is for you to remember your friends by."

Joe took the picture in his hands. It was a picture of Diego, Zazie, Joe, Tony and Larry as they were kids in elementary school. The desert fox felt as if he wasn't just stabbed in the heart but more like shot in the heart with a sawwed-off shotgun. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at the picture. Joe hung his head, a warm tear slowly trickling down his snout as he handed the framed picture back to Ziggy, "You're a sadistic monster, Ziggy..."

Diego glared at the raccoon genie, "Yeah, that was a low blow, Ziggy." The camel knelt down and placed a hoof hand on Joe's shoulder, "Are you all right, Joe?"

Joe slowly nodded and brushed the tear from his muzzle, "Yeah...right as rain. No need to worry about me." The normally arrogant and cynical fox felt much more vulnerable than comfortable.

Joe slowly got to his feet. The desert fox felt like he could cry a river but he didn't want the others to see. Burying his face in his paws, he began to sob a little. It was then Sonia walked up to Joe and pulled him into a big hug, wrapping her arms around the tearful fox and slowly rubbing his back. Neither spoke a single word. The less said, the better at this point. For Joe, it hurt too much to say goodbye.

Ziggy tapped Diego on the shoulder, "The wish?"

As Diego snapped back to his senses, he nodded quickly, "All right, I guess it wouldn't hurt. I wish Joe could stay here and graduate college here and not move a few towns away."

Ziggy grinned, "You got it, buddy!"

The raccoon genie broke out into his signature dance as began chanting, "I call upon the powers that be, grant Diego's wish and set me free!"

To be continued...


	2. Welcome To The College

**NOTE:** _Sorry...this seems kinda rushed. I've been rather tired lately. Here's the second chapter of Brilliant._

It was then an entire college fell from the sky and landed in the oasis. Diego, Ziggy, Sonia and Joe all shielded their faces from the sand being blown at them.

Sonia blinked a few times, completely stunned by the fact that a college stood before her. Diego walked up to Joe and put his arm around him, "This, Joe is where you will be attending college. Right here in the oasis with your friends."

Joe blinked a few times in awe then glared at Diego, his cheeks still damp with salty teardrops, "Have you completely lost it, Diego? Whenever Ziggy's magic is involved in something, it all ends with chaos."

Ziggy crossed his arms, "Why you ungrateful little! I'll have you know that my cafe and pool wishes were a success!"

Joe rolled his eyes, "Just how many third wishes have you done already? 9000? Either way, you just don't want to face the fact your magic has gone haywire, you dolt."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Ziggy gasped, shoving his snout in Joe's face, "It took all my best magic to bring this college here and you're treating it like a joke!"

Joe growled at the raccoon genie when Sonia got in between them, "All right, boys, break it up. In a situation like this, the last thing we need is a fight breaking out."

Joe and Ziggy calmed down and Ziggy spoke up, "All you gotta do is graduate from this college, Joe. Are you up to it?"

"Of course I'm up to it so long as I came out of it in one piece." Joe replied sarcastically as he marched up the steps of the college to the entrance with Diego, Ziggy and Sonia following him.

Joe rang the doorbell of the main door and the dual doors opened up. Diego, Ziggy, Joe and Sonia took one step forward and the ground underneath their feet started moving. Joe scratched his ear as he looked down, "An electronic sidewalk, just like the Nileburg Genius College website said."

The sidewalk took them to another set of doors and on the left side was what appeared to be a computer. The computer spoke in a robotic female voice, "Sign In, Please."

Ziggy floated up to Joe and tapped him on the shoulder, "Reach into your pocket, an ID card was included with the wish."

Joe nodded and pulled the card out of his pocket, running it across the computer, "Access approved, welcome to the Nileburg College For Geniuses, Joe."

The desert fox and his friends entered the doors and noticed a tall male giraffe with glasses and a white goatee in a dark blue jacket, "Welcome, Joe. My name is Headmaster Necklong and welcome to my college. I see you've brought company with you."

Joe nodded, "Oh, these are my friends, Diego, Ziggy and Sonia."

Necklong slowly stroked his goatee, "I see. They all look to be below average intelligence if you ask me."

Ziggy crossed his arms, "Hey! I'm not stupid! I'm..."

"Mentally challenged would be the more politically correct term." Joe sneered sarcastically.

Necklong nodded, "Indeed. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be showing you to your new dormitory."

Joe raised an eyebrow, "So soon? But what about the paperwork?"

"The robots we build here take care of that." Necklong replied before turning to face Diego, Ziggy and Sonia, "The three of you need to leave. Joe doesn't need any distractions when he's studying."

Diego nodded, "All right, that makes sense. If it's for the best."

And so, Necklong pressed a button and the electronic hallway moved in reverse, taking Diego and Sonia to the enterence while Ziggy used his magic to poof outside.

Ziggy then turned to Diego and grinned, "Now all Joe's gotta do is graduate college and I'm home free!"

Diego sighed and hung his head, "Are you sure Joe will be fine? That headmaster guy was pretty scary."

Sonia nodded, "And they treated us like outsiders in there."

"He'll be perfectly okay, Diego. Trust me, I'm a genie!" Ziggy replied happily.

Meanwhile, Joe followed Necklong through a long, cold hallway. There was something about the place that gave the fennec fox the chills. There were no students chatting in the hallway and no laughter, just dead silence as he was led to his room. Necklong unlocked the door and his room had nothing but a table desk. Joe blinked a few times, "But...where's the bed? Where will I sleep?"

"Geniuses don't need to sleep." Necklong replied coldly, slamming the door shut and locking it from the outside.

Joe's eyes became as wide as saucers as he made a mad dash for the door and pulled on the handle. Suddenly, an electronic female voice filled the room, "Lunch will be brought to your room in exactly one hour."

Joe turned his attention to a loudspeaker in the corner of the room and hung his head and sighed. The desert fox noticed a pad of paper and a pencil on the desk. Getting up and walking over to the chair, he sat down and picked up the pencil. Joe remembered that painting wish Diego made about a year back and how bad of an artist he was back then but ever since, he tried to hone his skills. The fennec took the pencil to the paper and began sketching a knight chess piece to pass the time. When he was finished, he smiled at his work and suddenly, a robot maid burst through the door. It looked almost exactly like Robotina except she was pink instead of green, "I brought you your lunch, Student Number 245."

Joe spun around, "Number 245? I have a name you know!"

The robot spoke again, "In this facility, students are assigned numbers. From here on out, you must be adressed by your number and nothing else. Your lunch is a dietary supplement of protein tablets. Enjoy."

Joe glared at the plate before him, "Protein pills? Numbers? Just what kind of college is this, anyway?!"

"Geniuses only need to know. Emotions are pointless and carry no logic. Having a name gives you an identity and emotions. We are here to strip you of your name and make you more productive. Laughter, tears, anger all have no meaning. Headmaster Necklong will harden you and transform you as he has done with so many students. Only then will you reach your full potential as a genius." The robot explained in a droning voice.

The desert fox glared down at his plate in disgust before throwing it on the ground, "You've probably poisoned those pills or something. There is NO WAY I'm going to trust the likes of you!"

"Sorry to hear that." The robot replied coldly, grabbing Joe by his arms and pulling him close.

The fennec began to squirm, "What...are you doing to me?"

"Reconditioning you." The robot replied, shooting a cloud of green gas directly into Joe's face from it's chest cannon.

Joe coughed a bit from the gas as he fell limp. The fox's vision slowly faded to black as he felt a tear escape his eye. Just what kind of mess did Ziggy get them into now?


End file.
